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NRM- Natural Resource Mgt for Sustainable Agriculture and Irrigation
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By John Muir, Sustainable Irrigated Agriculture and Rural Community Livelihood Adviser/Consultant, Pursat/Takeo Province, Cambodia.
Here is my initial assessment of where Cambodian Agriculture is at presently, after returning for only 6 month's now, including 12 weeks field work in Pursat and 2 weeks Takeo, after 20 yrs. From an initial 2 yr Integrated Irrig. Rural Development, AUSAID /CARRITAS NGO stint during UNTAC 1992-94 in Takeo & 7 yrs in Philippines ACIAR -AUSAID NRM & Catchment Mgt. Conservation Upland Farming Research Landcare project in Mindanao. Before hand I was a DPI NSW Agronomist and Since then I have been working as a NRM Watershed Co-ordinator in Landcare and catchmernt Care, Qld Australia
I believe all these critical elements below, need to be included in any and all projects/programs in relation to Climate Change, Resilience and so called Sustainable Rural Development & Livelihoods, including Irrigation. It also has WASH and DRR Emergency consequences and implications e.g. downstream rural land runoff quality and quantity effects, land clearing, land degredation etc
Sustainable Ag. is all about Holistic Natural Resource Mgt. or the NRM of Water, Land, Soil, Plants & Animals, in relation to us, Humans. Ecosystems Socio-Ecology
The Six Capitals or ASSETS must be considered when one intervenes for a more Sustainable Livelihood Approach in programs eg SOCIAL, HUMAN, FINANCIAL, NATURAL, INFRASTRUCTURAL (PHYSICAL), ...
One cannot look at NRM and Agriculture by its individual components anymore, as we all know they are integrally linked and complimentary eg The Green Revolution (Utilizing huge amounts of Water, Fertilizer & Pesticides) fed the world in the '70's, but at what cost & off-farm consequences in Nature? eg pollution, erosion, dams, pollution, habitat and species loss etc .
WATER is often said to be the BIG issue lacking in Cambodia by farmers ......., although we get over 1,500mm pa, (65 inches), but it is just not spread evenly and has a dry season, with unreliable gaps ....so Water Mgt is critical, with moisture storage and retention, not just in dams, dykes, ponds & vessels, BUT also in the SOIL, Plants and Vegetation Biomass and Groundwater itself!
The SOIL can hold a lot more water if it is managed carefully, (over 100% more mm/m ), with appropriate existing cultural techniques and new technologies eg - compost, organic matter, humus, biota, stubble retention, mulching & minimum tillage, that reduces compaction and moisture loss, & maximizes soil moisture retention. New modern technologhy farming systems and machinery can do this
Irrigation farmers can learn a lot from rain-fed only, wet season dryland growers and their moisture conservation techniques, because they are always wanting to preserve their limited water resources and are more water efficient aware users eg. higher yields or return/ha , for lower water use, but riskier.
Cambodian Soils are very poor and some should not be utilized for rain-fed or irrig, without major improvement in soil management techniques, different and varying crop rotations, appropriate inputs of both organic and chemical fertilizers or amendments, and understanding its very characteristics, limitations and rehabilitation requirements. Both Physical, Chemical & Biological repair is required. eg non rice alternative crops, deeper rooted perennials, short season opportunity annual crops, green manures, living mulches, raised beds, minimum tillage and stubble mulch mgt. Plus alt. sources of feed for animals then rice stubble eg high protein stock fodder production ! TREAT THE SOIL LIKE A LIVING BEING !
With village field working animal numbers also declining, there is a corresponding drop in animal manure availability for compost and natural fertilizer use! So maybe increases in appropriate intensive on-farm chicken, pig, duck & beef raising could help address this natural manure compost fertilizer shortfall in the future, inc. bio-digesters' . Fencing, esp. Electric solar fencing is also relevant and critical to be demonstrated to manage stock from entering cropping areas and confine within fodder grazing areas cheaply and efficiently !
Huge opportunity for vast expanses of under-utilized degraded grazing lands, with woody weeds prevalant, could be converted to highly productive deep rooted annual/ prenial, high quality and quantity fodder tree/crop/pasture species eg OMSB Atriplex numularia, Leuckinia, Sespania, Dolacus lab Lab spp
Ecosystem Habitat loss has reduced beneficial Insect numbers and diversity, especially on farm, while some insects have responded explosively, with pesticide use and monoculture farming. More IPM and Neighbourhood Area -wide crop mgt. techniques are required
Rural Labor is also becoming more limiting and specialized in Cambodian due to Textile trade labour demand so pressure is now on to ID and find alternative appropriate, labor cost saving techniques, devices and machines -like Harvesters, tractors, cultivation tools, chemical weed control, minimum tillage, permanent raised beds, drip irrigation, AND SUCH TECHNIQUES …..more
If we just continue to concentrate on Livelihood Production increase, at farmer village level only, once produced, farmers often flood the market with produce, which crashes the price $ received, often reducing final profitability, including increased inputs requirement indebtedness. More whole supply chain, value adding and private financial business management development needs to be considered, to enable primary producers to rise out of this cost/price squeeze and supply boom/bust cycle.
Great opportunities also exist for NGO's, Govt. Private Companies and Int. Development Agencies and Program Organizations to consider completely new modes of operation and target audiences, to break some of the entrenched and not so sustainable program implementation and undesirable outcomes.
SO, we will all need to Re-think how to "Redesign the Landscapes', Livelihoods and Mindscapes' of all actors and players in this topic, so that a more co-ordinated and co-operative coming together of a diverse range of minds, using bottom, up change management, participatory action learning & community development processes can be utilized. As the outsider or top down intervention program/project, we will need to have re-focused, wider objectives, entry points, activities and outcomes (and different M & E tools to capture the real longer term and wider implication and consequences of our actions/ programs/projects)
Now is the time and opportunity to asses all these issues in Rural Development holistically and not in isolation, in a more integrated and cross discipline approach.
THE ANSWER LIES IN THE SOIL, LANDSCAPES AND MIND-FIELDS
Here is my initial assessment of where Cambodian Agriculture is at presently, after returning for only 6 month's now, including 12 weeks field work in Pursat and 2 weeks Takeo, after 20 yrs. From an initial 2 yr Integrated Irrig. Rural Development, AUSAID /CARRITAS NGO stint during UNTAC 1992-94 in Takeo & 7 yrs in Philippines ACIAR -AUSAID NRM & Catchment Mgt. Conservation Upland Farming Research Landcare project in Mindanao. Before hand I was a DPI NSW Agronomist and Since then I have been working as a NRM Watershed Co-ordinator in Landcare and catchmernt Care, Qld Australia
I believe all these critical elements below, need to be included in any and all projects/programs in relation to Climate Change, Resilience and so called Sustainable Rural Development & Livelihoods, including Irrigation. It also has WASH and DRR Emergency consequences and implications e.g. downstream rural land runoff quality and quantity effects, land clearing, land degredation etc
Sustainable Ag. is all about Holistic Natural Resource Mgt. or the NRM of Water, Land, Soil, Plants & Animals, in relation to us, Humans. Ecosystems Socio-Ecology
The Six Capitals or ASSETS must be considered when one intervenes for a more Sustainable Livelihood Approach in programs eg SOCIAL, HUMAN, FINANCIAL, NATURAL, INFRASTRUCTURAL (PHYSICAL), ...
One cannot look at NRM and Agriculture by its individual components anymore, as we all know they are integrally linked and complimentary eg The Green Revolution (Utilizing huge amounts of Water, Fertilizer & Pesticides) fed the world in the '70's, but at what cost & off-farm consequences in Nature? eg pollution, erosion, dams, pollution, habitat and species loss etc .
WATER is often said to be the BIG issue lacking in Cambodia by farmers ......., although we get over 1,500mm pa, (65 inches), but it is just not spread evenly and has a dry season, with unreliable gaps ....so Water Mgt is critical, with moisture storage and retention, not just in dams, dykes, ponds & vessels, BUT also in the SOIL, Plants and Vegetation Biomass and Groundwater itself!
The SOIL can hold a lot more water if it is managed carefully, (over 100% more mm/m ), with appropriate existing cultural techniques and new technologies eg - compost, organic matter, humus, biota, stubble retention, mulching & minimum tillage, that reduces compaction and moisture loss, & maximizes soil moisture retention. New modern technologhy farming systems and machinery can do this
Irrigation farmers can learn a lot from rain-fed only, wet season dryland growers and their moisture conservation techniques, because they are always wanting to preserve their limited water resources and are more water efficient aware users eg. higher yields or return/ha , for lower water use, but riskier.
Cambodian Soils are very poor and some should not be utilized for rain-fed or irrig, without major improvement in soil management techniques, different and varying crop rotations, appropriate inputs of both organic and chemical fertilizers or amendments, and understanding its very characteristics, limitations and rehabilitation requirements. Both Physical, Chemical & Biological repair is required. eg non rice alternative crops, deeper rooted perennials, short season opportunity annual crops, green manures, living mulches, raised beds, minimum tillage and stubble mulch mgt. Plus alt. sources of feed for animals then rice stubble eg high protein stock fodder production ! TREAT THE SOIL LIKE A LIVING BEING !
With village field working animal numbers also declining, there is a corresponding drop in animal manure availability for compost and natural fertilizer use! So maybe increases in appropriate intensive on-farm chicken, pig, duck & beef raising could help address this natural manure compost fertilizer shortfall in the future, inc. bio-digesters' . Fencing, esp. Electric solar fencing is also relevant and critical to be demonstrated to manage stock from entering cropping areas and confine within fodder grazing areas cheaply and efficiently !
Huge opportunity for vast expanses of under-utilized degraded grazing lands, with woody weeds prevalant, could be converted to highly productive deep rooted annual/ prenial, high quality and quantity fodder tree/crop/pasture species eg OMSB Atriplex numularia, Leuckinia, Sespania, Dolacus lab Lab spp
Ecosystem Habitat loss has reduced beneficial Insect numbers and diversity, especially on farm, while some insects have responded explosively, with pesticide use and monoculture farming. More IPM and Neighbourhood Area -wide crop mgt. techniques are required
Rural Labor is also becoming more limiting and specialized in Cambodian due to Textile trade labour demand so pressure is now on to ID and find alternative appropriate, labor cost saving techniques, devices and machines -like Harvesters, tractors, cultivation tools, chemical weed control, minimum tillage, permanent raised beds, drip irrigation, AND SUCH TECHNIQUES …..more
If we just continue to concentrate on Livelihood Production increase, at farmer village level only, once produced, farmers often flood the market with produce, which crashes the price $ received, often reducing final profitability, including increased inputs requirement indebtedness. More whole supply chain, value adding and private financial business management development needs to be considered, to enable primary producers to rise out of this cost/price squeeze and supply boom/bust cycle.
Great opportunities also exist for NGO's, Govt. Private Companies and Int. Development Agencies and Program Organizations to consider completely new modes of operation and target audiences, to break some of the entrenched and not so sustainable program implementation and undesirable outcomes.
SO, we will all need to Re-think how to "Redesign the Landscapes', Livelihoods and Mindscapes' of all actors and players in this topic, so that a more co-ordinated and co-operative coming together of a diverse range of minds, using bottom, up change management, participatory action learning & community development processes can be utilized. As the outsider or top down intervention program/project, we will need to have re-focused, wider objectives, entry points, activities and outcomes (and different M & E tools to capture the real longer term and wider implication and consequences of our actions/ programs/projects)
Now is the time and opportunity to asses all these issues in Rural Development holistically and not in isolation, in a more integrated and cross discipline approach.
THE ANSWER LIES IN THE SOIL, LANDSCAPES AND MIND-FIELDS
John's Gallary
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Cow ploughing after scatterd storm in droughty Takeo showing old which is almost meditative to watch cos and planting vs new in next video in dusty, dry, and last chance to sow after some up to three failed attempts planting so far unfortunately - hence our resilience drought machine sowing seeder demonstrations planting into deeper slight residual moisture - see following dusty demo machine also please.
Posted by John Muir on Tuesday, September 8, 2015
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Compared to the previous meditative cow ploughing and hand seedling planting this is a bit hectic but can sow into subsoil residual moisture and replace up to three previous attempts to sow in drought that failed due to lack of no rain and and broadcasting due to lack of labour now So many machinery opportunities available now for cambodia.
Posted by John Muir on Tuesday, September 8, 2015
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Good subsoil moisture in no-tillage stubble mulch retention carbon farming, ready to seed with machine into Australia May 2015.
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Unique qualities of Hemp stubble mulch for soil improvement of biological activity and physical and nutritional fertility.
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Young one month old hemp fibre crop with full ground cover and phenomenal growth of one metre per month Australia.
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